HAIPHONG

Comments from Utopians:

"I stayed at the Harbour View hotel in Haiphong. Well, most of the staff are gay and very very cute, spoke better English than any hotels I stayed in Hanoi and HCMC." -- H.P., Nov 8, 2002

HANOI -- area code (84-4)

• Friendly Mansion
  No 7 Street 31-46 Xuan Dieu, 091-201-3093, email. Gay-owned homestay accommodation welcoming travelers to Hanoi. Utopia Member Discount
• Rose Hotel
  12B Hang Manh St, Hoan Kiem District, 828-5639, FAX 928-9310, email. The Rose Hotel is a small, G&L-friendly guesthouse in an excellent location in the Old Quarter, just a short walk from Hoan Kiem Lake, on a lane lined with traditional musical instrument shops and galleries. Seven reasonably maintained rooms come with free ADSL Net access (sometimes working, sometimes not). Fresh flowers add warmth to the large rooms. Be forwarned that there is no protection from the bustling neighborhood noise, although the whole area goes quiet after midnight. Managed by a young family. Email and English are not their forté though, so keep your advance communications as simple as possible to avoid misundertandings. Internet and computers are also available in the lobby. Local fruit and complimentary breakfast are included in the cheap rates. Ask the husband if any of his gay friends are available to show you the local scene in the evenings. No problem with same sex couples or visitors who leave their ID card at the front desk.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Recently visited and stayed again in the Rose Hotel. The rooms are clean and nice and I recommend this place which is in the city center and walking distance from Hoan Kiem Lake." -- robineira, Mar 20, 2008

  "Very cold in winter, noisy and unfriendly (the lady staff is always looking to earn some money from customers, it is her obsession!)." -- frenchfriend, Feb 10, 2008

  "Beware of the Rose Hotel in Hanoi. They will not turn on the hot water during summer. The couple that run the place appear very helpful and friendly, but the tours they arranged were overpriced and the train ticket they sold me was not what I paid for." -- beachbum303, Jul 8, 2007

  Comments from Utopians:

  "The Sunflower Hotel (formerly called Green City Hotel). Rooms are US$20/night, although there was a wide variance in the quality of rooms, so check your room before commiting to it." -- MikeR, Sep 25, 2007

  "Hotel Sofitel Metropol is quite a nice hotel but it has a weird regulation that you can't bring any visitors after 9pm. So it is better to stay in another hotel than in such an expensive hotel that is not convenient. Disappointed." -- letmakeit, Sep 18, 2007

  "We stayed in Hoa Linh Hotel last Mar. Not so good. Staff was not helpful nor friendly once they knew we booked our day tours with another company. There was fighting in the back building one midnight but the night clerk didn't know until I told him the next morning. There were other problems with the deluxe room itself. Not reccommended." -- Tenton, Jul 21, 2007

  "Stayed at the Hoa Linh Hotel in Hanoi with my Vietnamese partner. As we had booked for three nights, the hotel sent a car to the airport for us. Rooms are quite reasonable for US$20, which includes a light breakfast. The gals in reception were sullen, but the guys on the staff were cheerful, friendly and helpful." -- myklh, Jul 19, 2006

  "I just got back from a great visit to Hanoi, where I stayed at the Discovery Hotel. It was basic, but in a great location and the owner and his wife could not possibly be any nicer or more helpful. I can't recommend it highly enough!" -- JohnBOrlando, Mar 12, 2006

HO CHI MINH CITY / SAIGON -- area code (84-8)

• Eden Guesthouse
  236 De Tham St, District 1 (Pham Ngu Lao area), 836-8154, email. A gay and lesbian-friendly, clean guest house located upstairs from the Eden Bar (a discount is available on food and drinks for guests staying here). Utopia Member Discount

• Hong Kong Hotel
  22 Bui Vien Dist 1, Ho Chi Minh City, (84-8) 836-4904 FAX 836-8757. Recommended by travelers as gay friendly and no hassles with visitors.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "I also stayed at the Hong Kong Hotel for 10 days. The manager was a nice guy. My room was US$10 with a good breakfast included. Note that most hotels in Vietnam do not have lifts, so in some cases you may get plenty of exercise." -- Rayko, Nov 19, 2006

  "The Hong Kong Hotel was friendly, helpful, clean, discreet, safe and cheap." -- KenW, May 29, 2006

• Spring Hotel
  44 Le Thanh Ton St, District 1 (the street which runs in front of the People's Central Committee headquarters), 829-7362, FAX 822-1383. Longtime favorite with gay travelers. Very friendly staff and no hassles. 45 rooms.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "I recently stayed at the Spring Hotel. The service was first class, the room was clean and the staff friendly. I had visitors on a couple of occasions and, except for having to register at the front desk, there were no issues with having guests in the room." -- CalGuySF, Jan 1, 2007

  "I stayed at the Spring Hotel. Well kept with friendly staff. I had a room with good light and view of the city. Pretty pleased with it." -- Tan, May 4, 2006

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Duong De Tham is the backpacker area. You can find a hotel with a nice room from US$12-25/night. However, most hotels there have restrictions on guest visits, particularly at night. Spring House Hotel at 221 Pham Ngu Lao St, 837-8312, is a friendly place. They allow guests to visit till midnight. Ask your guest to leave an ID at the front desk. Duna Hotel, 167 Pham Ngu Lao St, is unfriendly. The staff are rude and lack flexibility. So try to avoid that one." -- billylondon, Mar 3, 2007

  "Stayed at the Indochine. No deluxe rooms were available and we were given a very nice standard room with a new bathroom for US$25. Standard rooms have no windows, so you know that when reserving. I had no trouble taking a visitor to my room. Also stayed at the Rang Dong Hotel (which I was told is Government owned). My Vietnamese partner brought a masseur in to our room. After he left, the hotel front desk phoned to make sure everything as OK. They also hold ID cards of visitors while they are in the hotel." -- myklh, Jul 19, 2006

PHU QUOC ISLAND

• Eden Guesthouse
  Tran Hung Dao St, Duong Dong Town, 077-994-208, email. Second and bigger branch of Saigon's Eden bar, restaurant and guesthouse. Gay and lesbian-friendly. Utopia Member Discount

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Sao Bien Resort (Sea Star Resort) is a very pleasant gay resort in Phu Quoc on a nice beach. The sea view villa is US$35./night. Receiption and waiters in the restaurant are gay and friendly." -- boyvn, Jun 5, 2006

Sapa

• Sapa Rooms Boutique Hotel
  018 Pran Si Pang St, +84 20 872130, FAX +84 20 872131, email. Gay and lesbian-friendly hotel located in the heart of Sapa Town, a stone's throw from the daily markets and the main street. The hotel overlooks the pristine, terraced valleys of Sapa. Boutique interiors, attentive personalised customer service and great value for money. Their French colonial heritage building has been decorated in contemporary tones with touches of local tribal culture. Each of the 13 rooms are comfortable and practical. Their Sapa Kitchen offers home cooked international cuisine in a perfect setting for relaxing and socializing. Utopia Member Discount

Tam Hai / Tam Ky

• Le Domaine de Tam Hai Resort
  (84-510) 545-105, 545-103, email. Situated on a small island off the coast of Hoi An in central Vietnam, just 10 minutes speedboat ride from the mainland, you might be as well in another world. Le Domaine de Tam Hai, offers comfortable, luxurious resort facilities and a private beach dotted with coconut and palm trees. There are 12 traditional Vietnamese style cottages, spacious at 60sqm with living room and bedroom, plus outdoor patio bath. The resort is situated in a 400sqm tropical garden filled with exotic plants and discreetly fenced off for maximum privacy. Direct access to Tam Hai's nearly deserted, pristine soft white sand beaches. Gay-friendly. Utopia Member Discount